OBS BROWSER SOURCE SETUP

How to Add a Countdown Timer to OBS

Place a clean, remotely controlled countdown timer in OBS Studio. Use it for a starting-soon screen, stream break, giveaway, game round or return-to-live cue.

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STREAM STARTS IN05:00OBS Browser Source · Remote control

FIVE-MINUTE SETUP

Set up an OBS countdown timer in five steps

Create your timer room
Create a ShowCountdown room and set the countdown duration for your stream, break, giveaway, starting-soon scene or live segment.
Copy the Viewer output link
Open Share room and copy the Viewer link. This is the clean display link for OBS—do not use the Controller or Operator link in your broadcast scene.
Add a Browser Source in OBS
In OBS Studio, select your scene, click Add in Sources, choose Browser, give it a clear name such as Stream Countdown, and paste the Viewer link into the URL field.
Use a transparent timer overlay
Add ?transparent=1 to the end of the Viewer URL before pasting it into OBS. Set a size that matches your scene, then position or crop the source like any other overlay.
Run it from another device
Keep the Controller or Operator link on a phone, tablet or second computer. Start, pause, reset and change the countdown without touching the computer running OBS.

Use the Viewer output, not the control link

The Viewer link is designed for on-screen output. It keeps operator controls and private production tools away from your stream scene.

Build a transparent countdown overlay

Add the transparent parameter, then layer the countdown over a starting graphic, camera frame or lower-third without a rectangular page background.

Keep production in control

Run OBS uninterrupted while a producer changes the timer from a phone or second machine. Your stream output remains clean and focused.

OBS TIMER FAQ

Common OBS countdown timer questions

What URL should I add to OBS?

Use the Viewer link from the Share room panel. It is a clean timer output intended for displays and Browser Sources, not an admin link.

How do I make the OBS timer background transparent?

Append ?transparent=1 to the Viewer URL. The timer output will render without its normal page background.

What size should my OBS Browser Source be?

Match the Browser Source dimensions to the part of your scene where the timer belongs. You can resize, crop and position it in OBS after adding it.

Can I control the OBS timer remotely?

Yes. Keep the Controller or Operator link on another device while OBS uses the Viewer output. The timer state stays shared across connected screens.

Does this work with Streamlabs?

Yes. The same Viewer URL can be added as a browser source in Streamlabs Desktop.

Ready to put a timer in OBS?

Create a room, add its Viewer URL as a Browser Source and run the countdown from another device.

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